Bangladesh’s cotton imports will continue to grow in the near future. One reason is that retailers and brands are coming back to Bangladesh with a lot of work orders as China has become very expensive because of the trade war. Another important reason is that much of yarn and fabrics in Bangladesh are made from cotton. One very big advantage for Bangladesh is that consumers, especially in the western world, are coming back to natural fiber from manmade artificial fiber with the view to protecting the environment and for comfort. While cotton fibers are biodegradable, polyester and other manmade fibers do not mix with the soil and damage the water and soil quality.

Between 2015 and 2017 Bangladesh imported 2,26,000 bales of cotton each year, but the quantity tripled last year. Currently, Bangladesh imports 11 per cent of its annual total requirement of cotton from the US, which was just four per cent even three years ago. Over time, America’s export of cotton to Bangladesh will grow because of good quality, competitive prices and timely delivery. Cotton USA has ramped up its marketing efforts in Bangladesh for grabbing a bigger market share. It has opened its office in Dhaka and hired some technical persons for educating about cotton use and trade.